Pride & Prejudice Book Club Podcast

This week we're joined by not one, not two, but three Jane Austen Fan Fiction authors! Jeff Bigler, Leigh Dreyer, and Diane Ferguson stop by the podcast to talk about Courting by the Book, a one-of-a-kind collaborative anthology where eleven authors tell an interconnected Pride & Prejudice story, each bringing their own voice, favorite tropes, and creative twists to the journey.

From the initial brainstorming sessions to developmental editing involving authors in multiple countries, this conversation offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how an ambitious collaborative novel came together. We also dive into JAFFCON (registration coming soon!), favorite Pride & Prejudice variations, how anthologies help us discover new authors, and Leigh's surprisingly important contribution of one very memorable goose.

If you've ever wondered what happens when a group of passionate JAFF authors decide to build a literary multiverse together, this episode is for you!

Connect with our guests:

Jeff Bigler
Website: https://jeffbigler.com
Facebook: Jeff Bigler (author page and personal profile)

Leigh Dreyer
Email: leighdreyerauthor@gmail.com
Facebook: Leigh Dreyer (or Jessica Moynihan Washer)

Diane Ferguson
Facebook: Diane Ferguson in various JAFF Facebook groups (website and author pages coming soon!)

Learn more about JAFFCON at: https://jaffwriterreadergettogether.org

🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis
🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.
📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!
➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!
✏️ Apply To Be a Co-Host Here: https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/nerd

Sharon has reached the "six rewatches and a conspiracy board" stage of binge watching!

This week we're diving into Episodes 5–7 of The Other Bennet Sister, where Mary finds confidence in London...then promptly manages to lose it again. Mr. Ryder makes a very indecent proposal, Elizabeth and Mary share one of the series' best conversations (the actors definitely brought their A-game to that scene!), and we continue to wonder what, exactly, is going on in Tom's head.

What started as pure delight has evolved into some strong opinions, especially from Sharon! We're talking red flags, green flags, love triangles, adaptation choices, and why certain characters are giving us more and more reasons to yell at the television.

If you've been watching along, come join us for another spirited discussion and just enough hopeless romanticism to keep things interesting.

🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis and Sharon Cortez

🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.

📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!

✏️ Apply To Be a Co-Host Here: https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/nerd

When Heather Moll announced a sequel to Nine Ladies, you probably heard our squeals of delight reverberating across the internet! This week we're talking about A Timeless Love, a surprise return to one of our favorite Pride & Prejudice inspired stories.

The sequel revisits Darcy and Elizabeth 13 years after their extraordinary journey through time, and is full of all the same wonderful character moments we loved in the original.

If you haven't read Nine Ladies, go read it right now! Then come back and listen to us rave about a sequel we never saw coming and immediately decided we couldn't live without.

🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis and Sharon Cortez

🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.

📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!

✏️ Apply To Be a Co-Host Here: https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/nerd

After an unexpected recording delay (thanks, laryngitis!), we're back to discuss Episodes 2-4 of The Other Bennet Sister and we're having an absolute blast.

We recap Mary's heartbreaking experience at the Netherfield Ball, Charlotte Lucas's practical (but devious) advice, Mrs. Bennet's increasingly frustrating behavior, and the friendships that begin to transform Mary's world. We also talk about the show's thoughtful portrayal of loneliness, belonging, and what happens when someone finally finds people who appreciate them for who they are.

Along the way, we pick apart Mary's romantic prospects, gush over the Gardiners, analyze the costumes, and spend a lot of time praising a cast that is absolutely spectacular!

If you've been watching along, join us as we celebrate a series that continues to surprise us, delight us, and make us care deeply about a character who spent far too long being overlooked.

 

Episode Credits:

🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis & Sharon Cortez
🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.
📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!
➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!
✍️ Apply To Be a Co-Host Here: https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/nerd

An island alone with Mr Darcy? Where do we sign up???

When Elizabeth and Darcy find themselves stranded together on a remote island, author Lin Mei Wei delivers some delicious dynamics between our main couple that had us frantically turning the pages! How close can Darcy and Elizabeth get when they are removed from society and only have each other to rely on (but still want maintain "propriety")? 

Of course, eventually they have to return to civilization...and that's where things get a bit more complicated. We discuss the challenges of extending the plot beyond the island, the disingenuous attitude of Darcy's family, and whether the story's second half lived up to the promise of the first.

Along the way, we wander into a few delightful tangents, including upcoming books we're excited to read, the latest tropes we've been seeing everywhere, and the many ways authors continue to reinvent Darcy and Elizabeth's story.

Whether you're here for the island romance, the Austen variation discussion, or just our usual bookish rabbit trails, we hope you'll join us!

p.s. - due to a struggle Emilie is currently having with laryngitis, we're still not sure about the release schedule of episodes for The Other Bennet Sister. Stay tuned!

🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis and Kelley Larsson

🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.

📚 See a list of books we've read at prideandprejudicebookclub.com!

➡️ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/newsletter!

Apply To Be a Co-Host Here: https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com/nerd